The Careto tradition is a religious or folk ritual practiced in regions of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, believed to have roots in pre-historical

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

traditions. It is found particularly in the villages of Podence (

Macedo de Cavaleiros Macedo de Cavaleiros () is a city and List of municipalities of Portugal, municipality in northeastern Portugal, in Bragança District. The population in 2011 was 15,776, in an area of 699.14 km². History During antiquity, the region was oc ...

Bragança District Bragança District ( pt, Distrito de Bragança ; mwl, Çtrito de Bergáncia) is a traditional political division of Portugal, in the northeast corner bordering on Spain (Castile and Leon and Galicia), covering 7.4% of the nation's continental l ...

), Vila Boa de Ousilhão (

Vinhais Vinhais (; cel-x-proto, Veniatia) is a municipality in the district of Bragança, northern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 9,066, in an area of 694.76 km2. The present mayor is Américo Afonso Pereira, elected by the Socialist Party. T ...

), Varge ( Aveleda,

), among others. It currently takes place during

Winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...

and, in certain regions,

Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

and is one of the oldest

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

s being practiced in Portugal still today. Although there are "rituals" practiced at the village of Lazarim (

Lamego Lamego (; cel-x-proto, Lamecum) is a city and municipality in the Viseu District, in the Norte Region, Portugal, Norte Region of the Douro Subregion, Douro in northern Portugal. Located on the shores of the Balsemão River, the municipality has a ...

Viseu District The District of Viseu ( pt, Distrito de Viseu ) is located in the Central Inland of Portugal, the District Capital is the city of Viseu. Municipalities The district is composed by 24 municipalities: * Armamar * Carregal do Sal * Castro Daire * ...

), these are not of Celtic origin as their origin is only registered as starting in the second half of the last century. ''Caretos'' are masked young men dressed in suits made of colourful fringe wool quilts, wearing brass, leather or wooden masks and rattles in their belts.

Shrove Tuesday Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), observed in many Christian countries through participating in confession and absolution, the ritual burning of the previous year's Holy Week palms, finalizing one's Lenten s ...

and the prior Sunday are the days when the ''Caretos'' are most active. They appear in groups from every corner of the village running and shouting excitedly, frightening the people and “robbing” all the wineries. The main target of these masquerade groups are single young girls, who make them climb to the top of walls and verandas. Scholars associate the ''Careto'' tradition with memories of magical practices related to agrarian fertility cults.

References

External links

Careto's Tradition
Article by José Paulo Carvalho Pereira in azibo.org, February 2006
University of Louisville Department of Anthropology
(in Portuguese)
Endless energy of the Caretos
(in Portuguese) {{authority control Carnivals in Portugal Celtic culture Cultural festivals in Portugal Fertility Macedo de Cavaleiros Paganism in Europe Portuguese traditions